The 60-year-old Welch producer and cofounder for the Santa Cruz Blues Festival, in its 22nd year. The festival got a strong start Saturday with more than 3,000 people sitting in front of the stage set up inside Aptos Village Park.

"There's so much music out there and so many new genres," he said. "This is about what we've been doing here. It all goes back to the blues."

A single stage is set up on the south side of the park and patrons, who brought their own chairs, towels and blankets to sit on, spread out across the park.

For several years, Cal Ares sailed with friends from Sausalito to the Santa Cruz harbor for the festival.

"I like the small venue and the big names," said the 66 year old from Jenner.

Larger music festivals can feel overwhelming, he said.

In a word for Ares: sweet. "It's a sweet little festival. Just right," he said.

Scott Owens of Sacramento came with his 4-year-old daughter, friends and their kids. Usually the group goes to the Strawberry Music Festival near Yosemite. But the festival was canceled because of the 2013 Rim Fire in August. So they came to the Santa Cruz festival instead.

"It's a great family venue," he said. He emphasized that it wasn't overwhelming like larger events. The crowd was a good size — not too big, not too small — making it easier to keep track of the kids, he said.

The location was an attraction, too.

"We figured we could combine a little bit of beach and music," he said.

Anne Hayden, an Aptos resident, usually doesn't attend the festival since she could hear it from her home. But the 60 year old came this year because friends invited her.

A fan of the genre, Hayden attended a blues festival in New Orleans and said she preferred it to the Santa Cruz one. However, she couldn't argue with the lineup.

"We're going to see Greg Allman," she said.

Saturday's lineup included the Gregg Allman Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Tab Benoit, Dave and Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones and Nikki Hill. Sunday's Artists include Ana Popovic, Rich Robinson, Jackie Greene, Vintage Trouble and Chris Isaak, with tickets still available online. Artist Dave Alvin played at Moe's Alley, a venue owned by Welch, in the past and was making his third appearance at the festival.

"I've loved it from the first time I played it," he said of the festival. "It's pretty easy going and Bill (Welch) is a great guy."

Phil Alvin, who said it was his first time playing the festival, said there wasn't more he could ask for out of a venue.

"It's a beautiful place for a concert," he said.

While creating a lineup is difficult, Welch said it was worth it.

"We've got this kind of gumbo style lineup this year that really works out well," Welch said. "They all kind of blend together in an unusual way. They make each other stronger as a combination of acts. I think."

In the 22 years that Welch has produced the festival, the best moment was having Ray Charles in the show.

"Ray Charles with a 22-piece band," he said. "I could've died and gone to heaven the next day and been a happy, happy, happy camper."